A brief survey of Iloko literature from the beginnings to its present development, with a bibliography of works pertaining to the Iloko people and their language, by Leopoldo Y. Yabes.

so.4

ILOKO LITERATURE

Many biographical sketches of Bukaneg have been written, but
the most reliable was that written by Percy A. Hill, a wellknown chronicler, from which we quote the following extracts:1'
"Few know much about Pedro Bukaneg, who he was or what he did.
Yet in his day and generation, the name of this blind convert was carried
as far as Madrid and Rome. The incidents of his life parallel those of
Moses to a certain extent; and even if he did not write the Tables of the
Law, his labors to convert his countrymen to a better creed, resemble those
of the Hebrew lawgiver. An Ilocano by birth, his story dates back to
about twenty years after the conquest, ancient enough, historically speaking.
"In the year 1592...the town of Bantay was spiritually presided over
by Fray Geronimo Cavero, a monk of the Agustinian Order, whose good
qualities drew the people towards Christianity....
"One of his first converts was the wife of a baknang who was baptized
Maria.... On one of the days of March, 1592, Maria went to bathe in a
small tributary of the Abra River, a short distance from the convent itself.
Her attention was attracted to an object, floating down with the current,
which turned out to be a woven basket, and which drifted into a little cove
in the river bank.... Wading out to satisfy her curiosity, she found a newlyborn baby lying on a roll of dangling bark in the basket, like the Moses of
Biblical lore. Where it had floated from she could n6t imagine. It was
not likely to have come through the turbulent current of the gap, but had
probably been set adrift a short way up the river.
"The infant was totally blind, having no doubt been born that way
and for that very reason rejected by its parents following the old custom of
Samtoy in which defectives born blind or lame were abandoned with a
Spartan severity. Maria took up the basket and its contents and carried
it to the convent of Bantay. The good friar out of compassion arranged
for a nurse to look after the infant, who in spite of his rude start on the
journey of life, lived, thrived, and was baptized with the name of Pedro and
the surname of Bukaneg. 17 From his scanty resources, Fray Geronimo
brought up the blind Pedro who soon showed an aptitude to learn and a
lively sense of gratitude towards his deliverer.
"In due time Bukaneg was sent to Manila to the convent of the Agustinians where his story. resembling that of Moses in the bulrushes, excited
comment and pity. They attempted to educate him and succeeded to
such an extent that he not only mastered Ilocano and the Tinguiane dialect,
but was able to converse fluently in excellent Castilian.
"He felt an urge to teach the gospel and his sermons became so convincing and famous that this was dulv reported at the court of Philip IT
and to the Holy Father in Rome. His mastery of the simnle faith and
his homely way of stating it, converted thousands of his fellow countryrien. In the streets of Vigan, crowds gathered at his appearance and,
listening to his teachings, 'joyfully accepted the creed of Christ'. From
Ilauag in the north to Aringay in the south he taught the new life, and his
Tersonality, and maybe his unfortunate history, brought many into the
fold who otherwise might have remained conscientious objectors.
"Upon the termination of this pilgrimage he returned to Manila and
aided the Agustinian clergy to compose a vocabulary of the Ilocano language. A class was formed for the instruction of newly arrived friars and
Bukaneg was placed at the head. His duty was to instruct the newcomers
in vernacular Ilocano, prenaratory to their life labors. Time added to his
usefulness as a liaison officer between the clergy and the converts. To
16-"Pedro Bukaneg-A Philippine Moses", in Philippine Magazine,
June 1931.
17-This word is a contraction of the phrase "nabukaan nga itneg",
meaning "Christianized heathen". See "The Greatest Ilocanos", cited above.